One of the greatest contributions a person can make on society is to be a visionary. Perhaps nobody in modern times was more of one than Steve Jobs, who sadly passed away this week.

The very basic elements of blocking and tackling were the essence of Jobs, whose innovative approach to business coupled with intuition and persistence became a presence in the lives of millions. Truth be known, if more industry leaders were like Steve Jobs, the dynamics of American business and the economy would be much different, in a positive way.

Consider that Jobs co-founded Apply in 1976, when many of us were kids with no inkling that a Mac or iPod was even a possibility. In the mid 1980's, Jobs was pushed out of the very company he founded and moved on to start NeXT, a manufacturer of computer workstations for the education market.

He then moved on to Pixar, which redefined the movie business with sensations like Toy Story. When Disney came along and bought his business, it was time to return to Apple and reinvent the music business with the iPod and iTunes. Then came the iPhone that put mobile computing at America's fingertips. As if the world or technology hadn't been fundamentally transformed, he came along with the iPad.

His ideas became a reality and his consistent execution of basic blocking and tackling turned his organizations into industry leaders. There was no ordinary with Jobs, but rather extraordinary.

Even during tough economic times, he recognized the ability to remain relevant saying, “A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.”

And open their wallets they did, making Apple one of the most wildly successful enterprises ever.

Perhaps he summed up execution best when he demanded that Apple be the yardstick of quality in a world where people aren't used to environments where excellence is expected.

What made him so successful was his ability to not only adapt and change, but be the catalyst of the very change he was adapting to. He foresaw the direction of the technology industry and had a vision upon which he created success. What he had is exactly what many lack in organizations and industries that are reluctant to change. After all, isn't it innovation that distinguishes between a leader and a follower?

While he will be missed as both a leader in innovation and an inspiration as to what we can accomplish with nothing more than a vision, he leaves a legacy that has touch just about everyone. He also taught us a lot of lessons about what it takes to create great products and successful organizations. Lessons we should all take to heart as we try to move from ordinary to extraordinary!

“You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.”- Steve Jobs

Special Reports /

Lessons I Learned from Steve Jobs

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